Judge frowns at govt, police counsel slugfest in court

Disapproving the slugfest between two counsel representing Delhi police, one appointed by the city government and the other by the probe agency, a Delhi High Court judge told them that politics has no place in his court.

Justice Siddharth Mridul quoted a Ghalib couplet which meant — ‘the world is a children’s playground before me, night and day this theatre is enacted before me’ — and said, “show a little bit maturity…Rather than utilising judicial proceedings to cross swords”.

“Politics has no place in my court. Don’t indulge in a slugfest in my court,” the court said during hearing of a petition which has raised the question whether Delhi police and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) can refuse to concur with NHRC’s request for CBI probe into encounter killings or custodial deaths.

The court’s observation came after the additional standing counsel (criminal) of Delhi government strongly objected to the Delhi police lawyer interrupting her while she was making her submissions before the court.

Both the lawyers said they were briefed by the police and began arguing over who would answer the court’s query regarding the progress in the instant case.

The petition has sought implementation of a 2006 recommendation by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which had wanted a CBI enquiry to be carried out into an alleged encounter of five men in May that year.

The NHRC had also recommended payment of Rs five lakh each to the kin of the five persons, saying there was “grievous violation” of their human rights, the petition filed through advocate Saurabh Prakash has said.

The petition has also said that till date no payment has been made.

Justice Mridul today told Delhi police that in such situations it should suo motu make the payment instead of the court directing the same and told the agency to bring the compensation amount on the next date of hearing.

The court also issued notice to Delhi government and sought its reply after making it a party in the matter on the oral request of the petitioner.

It said the presence of Delhi government was necessary to adjudicate on the issue of whether CBI probe was required in the matter and sought a detailed reply from the police also before the next date of hearing on December 2.